Switch-throwing apparatus for cars



June 24, 1924. 1,499,021 T. w. M DONALD SWITCH THROWING APPARATUS FOR CARS Filed Oct. 18, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 24, 1924 T. w. M DONALD SWITCH THROWING APPARATUS FOR CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18, 1923 Patented June 24, 1924.,

THOMAS W. MCDONALD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SWITCH-THROWING APPARATUS FOR CARS.

Application filed October 18, 1923.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. MoDoN- ALD, a citizen of Canada, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Throwing Appaof which the following is a switches that are now almost universally used in street railway systems.

Electric switches which are in use today are not eflicient or positive for the reason that after the switch has been operatedby the motorman, the switch points have a tendency to move or to shift while the ears are moving over the same. For example, after the forward trucks of the cars have passed over the switch points and are clear-l ing the connecting end of the switch, the trucks or wheels have a tendency to move 7 the switch point inwardly, thereby causing what is termed a split switch which will,

deny the rear truck the right of way upon the rail, causing the rear end of the truck to travel on the opposite rail from that taken by the forward end of the car which immediately causes the car, to leave the rails atone or both ends, oftentimes'resulting .in great injurv to the passengers and damage to the car wheels and trucks.

In the electric type of switch that is nowused, the same doesnot operate or function properly due to the dampness of the ground wherein the electrical appliances are placed which oftentimes require the motorman to descend from the car and throw the switch by hand, using aswitch rod for doing the same thereby loosing valuable time and very often tying up large numbers of the cars.

to provide a switch throwing means for cars'that is efficient and positive in its op- It is therefore an object of invention Serial No. 669,376.

eration, especially in view of the fact that after the switch point has been thrown or moved to its predetermined position it cannot move any appreciable degree while the car is passing over the same.

An additional object of my invention is to provide such a switch throwing means for cars that may be installed at a minimum. expenditure, and wherein the same may be operated without requiring any great skill upon the part of the operator.

Vith the above and other objects in view, as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same comprises the" novel form, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,

shown in the accompanying drawings, and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein there is shown the most practical embodiment of the in- Vention with which I am at the present time familiar, and wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the'several views: a

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a section of a street car trackway equipped with a switch to be operated by my improved switch throwing mechanism, a portion of this mechanism being associated directly with said trackway.

Figure 2 is a longitudinaldetail sectional View of the mechanism shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan of the switch portion of the trackway shown in Figure l, the switch throwing mechanism per se being shown in cross section.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the cam blocks that comprisethe central part of the present invention.

Figure 5 is afragmentary side elevational View of a street car, parts thereof being removed and equipped with my novel motorman operated trip means for effectively operating certain parts of the present inven tion whereby the switch point is thrown 1nwardly or outwardly as the case maybe, and

Figure 6'. is an enlarged elevational view of one of the tripping arms carried by the trip mechanism of said street car.

Now having particular reference to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings,,A

designates the main traekway and B the secondary or shunt trackway upon which the cars may be run, if desired, through the medium of any suitable switch mechanism that includes as one of the elements a movable switch point 5.

Formed upon a base 6 that is secured to the front edge of one of the usual cross ties 7 and specifically the one closely adjacent to the beforementioned switch, is a circular block 8, the opposite ends of which are cammed in opposite directions and through which is slidable a horizontal shaft 9. One end of this shaft 9 and specifically the end opposite from the switch point 5 is slidable through an opening in the adjacent rail of said trackway 8, the other end of said shaft 9 being detachably connected through the medium of a coupling 10 to a stub shaft 11 that is rigidly connected to the free end of a switch point 5 and then at a point beneath the tread surface of said switch point.

Fixed to the shaft 9 at opposite sides of the cam block 8 are other circular cam blocks 12, it being noted from a consideration of Figures 1 and 3, that when the cam face of one block 12 is in close engagement with the adjacent face of a stationary cam block 8, the cam face of the other block 12 will be spaced from the adjacent opposite face of said cam block 8, a rotation of said shaft 9 causing movement of said cam blocks 12-1-12 for moving said shaft 9 laterally in opposite directions for opening and closing the switch between the trackway A and trackway B.

Splined upon the shaft 9 adjacent the end remote from the switch point 5 is a pendant arm 13 to the lower end of which is pivotally connected the adjacent end of forwardly and rearwardly extending rods 14: and 15 respectively, these rods being detachably and adjustably connected at their opposite ends to other rods 14: and 15 respectively through the -111QdlllIIl' of turn buckle connections 16.

In spaced relations to the before-mentioned shaft 9 and at opposite sides thereof are transverse rods 17 and 18 respectively, that are secured at their opposite ends within pendant tongues a of the rails a of the trackway A. Pivotally attached to the cross rod 17 adjacent one end is an upwardly extending trip arm 19 that extends aloove the surface of said adjacent rail a and has movement between a pair of spaced guide bars 20. Similarly pivotally secured to the other cross bar 18 at a point intermediate its ends and in alignment with the first mentioned trip lever is another trip lever 21 that also extends upwardly above the surface of the adjacent rail a and likewise moves between a pair of spaced guide bars 22. The forward end of the rod 14: is pivotally secured at 23 to a trip lever 19 at a point slightly above its pivotal connect-ion to the transverse rod 17, while the rear end of the rod 15 is pivotally secured to the lower end of said trip lever 21, Figure 2.

In Figure 5 C designates a street car of conventional type, the same being provided upon its under side and adjacent its opposite end with pairs of spaced shaft hangers 23 and 24- respectively, and between which are journalled shafts 25 and 26. Keyed to each of these shafts is a cable drum 27, Figure 6, around which is wound an endless cable 27, this cable after being wound around said drum extending upwardly and then inwardly over relatively small pulleys 28 carried by hangers 29 intermediate the hangers of each of the pair 23 and 2 1 which are pendant from v the floor of the car C. This endless cable 27 is then extended inwardly from said pulleys 28 and engaged over other pulleys 31) supported in a manner similar to said pulleys 2-8, the cable then extends upwardly through the floor of the car being wound around pulley 31 suitably rotatably mounted within the inotormans cabin of the car and that is to be manually rotated in opposite directions through the medium of a detent carrying handle 32, with which is associated a segment 33 provided centrally and adjacent its opposite end with notches 3a for cooperating with the detent of the handle for maintaining the same in different set positions.

Operatively connected to each of the cable drums 27 are the yoke ends 35 of tripping levers 36, Figure 6. The normal position of the tripping arms 36 is as shown in Figure 5, that is, they extend horizontally in opposite directions and have a movement from the dotted line position at the left hand end of Figure 5, to the dotted line position at the right hand end of said Figure 5.

The operation of this device, is as follows: Let us consider that the switch point 5 is in the position shown in Figure 1, and that a car is moving toward the left of this figure when it is desired to open the switch for thereby allowing the car to move in a straight path upon the tackway A) It is necessary that the cam lever 32 be moved forwardly for extending the tripping arms 36 and 37 into the dotted line position of Figure 5. After the front end of the car has been brought to aposition adjacent the switch, this hand lever is thrown rearwardly for consequently bringing the foremost tripping arm 86 upwardly for thereby swinging the trip arm 21 in such a manner as to pull upon the rods 15 and 15 for thereby rotating the shaft 9, which rotation of the shaft will control the cam block 12-12 for consequently sliding the shaft inwardly and thereby swinging the switch point 5 upon its pivot. As the car is passing over the switch or after the same has completely passed thereover, the hand lever 32 may be so actuated as to move the rear-most tripping arm 86 to a position to engage the foremost trip arm 19 for moving the switch point to its initial position.

The specific operation together with numerous advantages of the switch throwing means for cars, of this character will be at once appreciated by those skilled in the art, and even though I have herein set forth the most practical embodiment of the invention with which I am at the present time familiar, it is to be understood, that minor changes may be made, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure'by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a car trackway switch, a shaft slidably and rotatably mounted between the rails of the trackway and operatively connected at one end to the switch point, means operable from within the car for rotating said shaft, and automatic means for sliding the same in opposite directions for opening or closing said switch, said first mentioned means comprising a movable tripping arm pendant from the car body and adapted for engagement with a trip arm operatively connected with said shaft.

2. In combination with a car trackway switch, a shaft slidably and rotatably mounted between the rails of a trackway and operatively connected at one end to the switch point, means operable from within the car for rotating said shaft, automatic means for sliding the same in opposite directions for opening or closing said switch, said first mentioned means comprising a movable tripping arm pendant from the car body and adapted for engagement with a trip arm operatively connected with said shaft, and manually operable means for controlling the movement of the trippingarm.

3. In combination with a car trackway switch, a shaft slidably and rotatably mounted between the rails of a trackway and operatively connected at one end to the switch point, means operable from within the car for rotating said shaft, automatic means for sliding the same in opposite directions for opening or closing said switch, said last mentioned means comprising a pair of spaced blocks keyed to the shaft and hav ing their adjacent faces reversely cammed, and a stationary block between said pair of blocks and having its-opposite ends cammed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

THOMAS W. MCDONALD. 

